Partner Spotlight: Friends of CAIC
10th Mountain Huts
November 2, 2026
Get to know the group supporting avalanche forecasting and education throughout Colorado
Winter hut season is just around the corner, and as we gear up for another season of backcountry adventures, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on our next featured partner, Friends of CAIC! Here, we take a closer look at the vital work this organization does to champion and advance avalanche safety across Colorado’s backcountry.
About Friends of CAIC
Friends of CAIC (FoCAIC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to support avalanche forecasting and education throughout Colorado.
Their work includes direct funding for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s forecasting operations, Trailhead Outreach Program, and Avalanche Aware community education.
Funding the Forecast
Every year, Friends of CAIC donates at least $300,000 to directly support CAIC’s forecasting operations and new technology innovations. This investment helps CAIC provide daily avalanche forecasts from November through May, in addition to other resources including weather station maps and a public observations database.
Trailhead Outreach Program (TOP)
Each winter, Friends of CAIC’s Trailhead Outreach Coordinators visit popular trailheads throughout the state to ensure backcountry users are checking the forecast before recreating in avalanche terrain.
During the 2025-26 season, the Trailhead Outreach Program visited 152 trailheads and documented 6,072 conversations about avalanche safety. Whether newcomers to the backcountry or seasoned veterans, trailhead interactions with the Friends of CAIC team often lead to discovering new things about CAIC products and avalanche safety efforts in Colorado.
Through the TOP, Friends of CAIC has helped local partners install more than 210 educational signs at popular trailheads since 2020, in addition to installing and maintaining avalanche transceiver checker signs.
Identified by local land managers, the signs appear at both motorized, non-motorized, skiing, hiking, climbing, and other activity-based access points, including 10th Mountain Division Huts!
Avalanche Aware
Friends of CAIC and CAIC host free community education events throughout the state to keep avalanche safety top of mind and inform recreationists about current snowpack conditions. During the 2025-26 winter, the two organizations hosted 70 educational events reaching 2,617 participants, including 438 youth under 18.
The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) collaborated with CAIC and the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) to create Avalanche Aware eLearning Courses to introduce the fundamentals of avalanche safety and how to make safer choices in the backcountry for both human-powered and motorized users.
How can you get involved?
Whether you check the forecast every day or before you head into the backcountry, it’s there for you from November through May. A completely free resource made possible by generous support from the backcountry community.
The best way to help fund the forecast is through Friends of CAIC Membership. Consider it your yearly subscription to the forecast!
Starting at just $35 per season, members support forecasting operations, education classes, technology updates, our Trailhead Outreach Program, and more!
Plus, you receive great perks, including a member gift, FoCAIC’s Avalanche Photo Annual coffee table book, and discounts on Benefit Bash tickets, outdoor industry brands, and FoCAIC merch.
CAIC Benefit Bash
CAIC Benefit Bash is the biggest party of the year supporting avalanche safety and education in Colorado!
Join 1,000+ stoked backcountry enthusiasts for live music, cold beer, a huge raffle and silent auction, and outdoor vendors at the Breckenridge Riverwalk Center on Saturday, December 12, 2026 from 6-10 p.m.
Keep an eye out for other events throughout the year to connect with the backcountry community!
- Stay connected and give the Friends a follow
- Sign up for their email list to stay in the know on the forecast, events, and more
- Shop their merch store to support avalanche safety and look good doing it
- As always, check the forecast before heading into avalanche terrain and reach out with any questions
From all of us here at the 10th Mountain Huts, thank you for supporting Friends of CAIC and the other key partners working to protect and enhance our collective backcountry experience.